Rockin' Christmas for the Children
by Ayukawa Shizuma
Summary: Jem and the Holograms have a benefit concert on Christmas Eve to help children in poor families. But Eric Raymond and the Misfits do all they can to spoil their holiday cheer.
1. Part 1

_Rockin' Christmas for the Children, Part 1_

Jem and the Holograms are copyright of Sunbow Productions and Hasbro. I'm just borrowing their wonderful creation.

* * *

Flipping through the pages as fast as she could, Aja scanned over each one, her anticipation surging. Finally, she found the page she was looking for.

"Look here," she said, smiling. "_Show _magazine has an article for our upcoming Christmas concert."

Kimber rushed over. "Outrageous! It's just what we need to promote it."

"Not only that," Jerrica stated, picking up the remote control for the television. "But Lindsay Pierce said she would talk about the concert on her show tonight as well."

"With all this publicity, we'll have no troubles raising enough money for the children," noted Shana.

Everyone huddled together on the sofa to watch. Jerrica clicked on the television to _Lin-Z TV_.

"Today I have British pop idol Sean Harrison on the show. As I explained earlier, Sean, you'll be taking part in a multi-group benefit concert on Christmas Eve."

He nodded. "That's right, Lindsay. Me and the boys were thrilled when we got the invitation from Jem and the Holograms to perform a benefit concert for kids with poor families. It's a shame, but there are a lot of families that just can't afford to buy presents for their children."

"And Jem and the Holograms are just one big name in, well, quite an impressive list of celebrity rockers."

"You bet! Luna Dark, Roland Owens, the Blue Bloods . . . and maybe we'll even snag Eric Clapton to guest sing with us."

Lindsay chuckled. "Sounds like it'll be a Christmas blast!"

"Absolutely, Lindsay. It's for a good cause to help lil' kids out, and to celebrate the holiday season."

"There you have it. Get ready for the hottest event coming this Christmas!"

Clicking off the television, Jerrica stretched out her arms and cheered. "That was a great interview. Leave it to Sean to get out the word."

Kimber folded her hands together and blushed. "Oh, he's so dreamy."

"This is all fine and dandy," Shana said. "But we need something to _perform_ for the concert."

Aja nodded. "She's right. We don't have a Christmas song."

"I know." Jerrica sighed. "Well girls, we'll just have to get to work."

Eric took a step back to examine the wreath he just placed on his office door. He moved it a little to the right, trying to get it just perfect. His concentration was interrupted by the sound of clicking heels fast approaching.

"Eric!" yelled an all-too familiar voice.

"Now what," he said under his breath, then turned around. "What can I do for you girls?"

In front of him was Pizzazz, Roxy, and Jetta. He noticed Pizzazz had a magazine clenched in her hand.

"Look at this!" Pizzazz exclaimed. "Jem and those twerps are having some charity concert on Christmas Eve."

"And that matters to me why?"

She growled. "Because they're getting a ton of publicity for it. And look," she continued, holding out the magazine right in his face. "They have a whole crew of celebrities playing with them."

"Not to mention Sean Harrison is playin' with them yanks as well," said Jetta.

Roxy folded her arms. "We can't let them get ahead of us like this. Nobody will care about us."

"And don't we sell more records during the Christmas season, Eric?" questioned Pizzazz, glaring at him.

"Yes, yes, girls, calm down." He shoved the magazine out of his face. "How are those new songs coming?"

The three Misfits looked dumbfounded at each other. "About that . . ."

He groaned. "How am I supposed to promote you over Jem if you don't have any new material?"

"Come on, you can think of something," Pizzazz sneered.

"Alright, fine. I'll take care of Jem's little Christmas party."

"Good boy."

"Now get back to the studio and finish those new songs, although I don't know how you're going to do that when all the Misfits aren't even here!"

Roxy looked around. "Where did Stormer go?"

"I ain't seen that lil' wimp here all day," said Jetta. "I wonder where she is."

Sitting with her legs crossed, Kimber strummed a few chords on her acoustic guitar. She was more in the mood to waste time than to create songs. The time on the clock kept her in constant distraction as she glanced in its direction about every other minute. As time went by, her strumming became quicker and more impatient until she finally put the guitar down and paced around the living room.

"Where could she be?" she asked herself.

By the time the words left her lips, a knock sent her racing to the door. When she opened it, her friend Stormer stood there, keytar in hand, and a smile on her face. Kimber threw her arms around her.

"I'm glad you made it, Stormer!" she exclaimed.

Stormer laughed. "Me too. It was hard trying to slip away from everyone else. They're probably wondering where I am."

"Let them wonder. Come in!"

Kimber led Stormer inside Starlight Mansion and opened the door to the studio just as Jerrica was transforming. Slamming the door shut, she turned to Stormer and smiled nervously.

"What's wrong?" asked Stormer.

"Oh, well, they're still getting things set up in there. Do you want something to drink?"

"Sure."

Kimber was relieved that she didn't give away Jerrica's identity. Not that she thought Stormer wasn't trustworthy, but she was still in the Misfits—even though Kimber thought that was a shame. Regardless, she wouldn't give up Jerrica's secret to anyone unless her sister wanted it to be.

Soon Jem walked into the kitchen. "Hi, Stormer."

Stormer waved. "Hey, Jem. How are you doing?"

"I'm pretty excited, to be honest. I think everyone's set up, so let's go make some music."

Stormer fetched her keytar and followed Jem and Kimber into the studio room. The warm greeting she received from Aja, Shana, and Raya made her blush. It wasn't something she was used to.

"Okay, so how should we begin?" asked Aja.

"We could work from the bottom up, or the top down," Jem suggested.

Kimber looked over at Stormer. "Do you have any ideas?"

"Well, sort of," she replied. "Want me to play it for you?"

Jem smiled. "Go ahead."

She played a few lines of melody on her keytar, then waited for the group's reaction.

"That's not half bad," said Raya.

Aja agreed, "We could make a start with that."

"Really? I'm glad." Stormer smiled. "I thought maybe we could use that in a slower song. A tranquil, cheery tune to celebrate Christmas."

"Sounds like a plan," said Jem. "Do you have any lyrics to go along with the idea, Kimber?"

Kimber scratched her head. "Kinda. I have a few thoughts jotted down I was working with earlier. Maybe Stormer and I can come up with something later on tonight."

Flashing Kimber a smile, Stormer loved the idea she would get to write a song with her friend again. She still felt a little out of place since she was a Misfit, not a Hologram. Not intending to give in, she doubled her efforts to keep her focus. It took less time than she expected to become comfortable playing with the other girls; the music came together almost effortlessly. Stormer reveled in the sonic textures they were creating—much smoother and softer than the usual makeup of a Misfits song. It was hard for her not to envy Kimber, and wish she could switch places with her.

While Shana and Raya were coordinating their parts, Stormer sat down. Before long, she drifted into sleep, happy to be in such a loving group of friends.

After a while, Kimber waved her hand in front of Stormer's face. "I think she fell asleep."

Jem chuckled. "Raya and Shana must be really boring."

Aja shrugged. "I'm a little sleepy myself."

"It's already passed nine," Shana noted. "Maybe we should to call it a night. Someone ought to wake Stormer."

"No, don't do that," Kimber contended. "Don't we have a spare bed for her? Look at her, she's so peaceful right now."

"She does look rather happy. It'd be a shame to wake her up," said Jem.

Carefully Kimber lifted her friend from the chair and carried her upstairs into an empty guest room. Tucking her under the covers, she couldn't help but giggle at the funny expression on her friend's resting face. Kimber turned off the light and shut the door.

Jerrica was waiting outside the room. "Did you get Stormer into bed okay?"

Kimber nodded. "She's still sound asleep."

"I guess we wore her out."

"I don't see how we're any more tiring than dealing with the Misfits on a daily basis." Kimber looked back at the door to the room. "At least she seemed to enjoy herself."

"I won't lie, I wasn't particularly enthused by your idea to have her join us. But she's very talented, and did help us out a lot. She's a nice girl."

Kimber winked. "I could've told you that much."

Jem rested her hands against her hips and smiled. "Well miss know-it all, you'll have to come up with some killer lyrics for us tomorrow then."

"You bet!" cheered Kimber. "We'll come up with the best Christmas song lyrics ever!"

Rolling over, Stormer peeked open her sleepy eyes. Though the curtain blocked most of the morning sunlight, a beam of it poured over her face. She groaned and rolled onto her other side to shade herself from the sudden bright light. Slitting open an eye, she spied the clock sitting on the stand next to the bed.

When the realization of the time clicked in her mind, she gasped and sat up in bed. "Oh no, it's already ten o'clock. I gotta meet the others."

Stumbling to get out of bed, she left the room and made her way downstairs.

"Good morning, Stormer," greeted Jerrica, who was sitting in the living room.

Rubbing her eyes, Stormer waved. "Morning, Jerrica. Sorry I slept here for so long. I don't even remember when I fell asleep."

"It seems you dosed off during practice."

Stormer bowed her head. "I did? Oh . . . tell Kimber I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it. Everyone was having fun, including yourself I hope."

Smiling, she nodded to Jerrica.

"The band will be practicing again this afternoon," said Jerrica.

Stormer hesitated. "I won't be able to join everyone. I should get back to the Misfits. I'm already late meeting with them as it is."

"Do you want to get ready here?"

Stormer shook her head. "No thanks, I'll take a quick shower at home. I should go."

"Alright, take care. Hopefully we'll see you back again."

"Really? I mean, I had a lot of fun. Please tell Kimber and everyone else thank you for me."

Stormer left the Starlight Mansion and hopped into her car. She wondered just how upset the rest of the Misfits would be with her since she disappeared. More unsettling, she wondered what they were up to while she was gone.

Roxy groaned, tossing her guitar to the ground. "This is going horribly!"

"You said it," Pizzazz agreed. "We're never gonna get this record finished at this rate."

"I say it's this crummy recordin' studio," complained Jetta. "It makes me saxophone sound bloody terrible."

The door to the studio whooshed open, and Eric Raymond stepped in.

"So girls," he said. "How is everything coming along?"

Pizzazz rolled her eyes. "Just . . . lovely."

Eric sighed. "I thought as much. Luckily I already have a plan to come up with the perfect song for your Christmas single."

"And what would that be?" questioned Roxy.

"Why, we'll use whatever Jem and her brats are cooking up."

Jetta brushed back her hair. "And just how will we be doin' that? They ain't just gonna let us into their house ya know."

Eric cackled. "We won't need to go inside. We'll simply pick it up from across the street."

Pizzazz laughed. "Oh, will we? You've had some bad plans, Eric, but this might be the worse one yet. How do you expect to record them from across the streets?"

"With a little help from our friend, _technology_," answered Eric, then he motioned out the door. "Come in here, Techrat."

Hesitant to be dragged into the studio, Techrat entered, with a small metallic gadget in hand. He groaned when the Misfits approached him, staring adamantly at his creation.

"What does this toy do?" asked Pizzazz.

"It's not a toy," he said. "It's a long-range sound recorder. The specs are far too advance for you to comprehend."

"Is that so?" Pizzazz got up in his face. "Why don't you try me?"

Techrat stepped back. "All you need to know is that it can tell you everything you would want to know about the music it records, from the key and time signatures, to the individual notes and rhythms being played."

Roxy grinned. "So it'll pretty much tell us how to play the song we record, right?"

"Precisely!"

"Then why don't we help ourselves out—" Before Jetta could grab the recorder, Eric stepped in her way.

"Just let us handle the dirty work, girls. Stay here in the studio and work on the songs _you're_ writing, so there are no catastrophes."

"Catastrophes?" barked Pizzazz.

Eric quickly shuffled Techrat out of the studio before the Misfits could conjure up any more protest. The two drove to Starlight Mansion. Eric peered at the mansion, greedily eying it up. He turned to Techrat.

"Alright, can your little machine pick up any sound?"

Techrat flicked a few switches. "Just a moment. Let me calibrate it."

After a few beeps and sizzles, the sound of muffled voices emitted from the device's speaker.

"Can you make that any clearer?" demanded Eric.

"Yes, yes, give me a second," grumbled Techrat.  
As he fiddled with the dial, the static dissipated. Soon they could hear the conversation going on inside.

_"How are those lyrics coming, Kimber."_

_"I think they're more or less done. Are we ready to give it a go?"_

_"Yeah, let's try it out."_

Eric chuckled. "Get this all, Techrat. Here comes the Misfits' new hit."

Hustling up the stairs, Stormer entered the recording studio. She was positive the rest of the Misfits would be irate that she was hours late for their rehearsal, not that they were usually interested in serious practice.

When she entered the studio, Pizzazz and Roxy were fiddling with a stack of papers.

"There you are, Stormer," said Pizzazz. "Just where have you been?"

"Um, well . . . I've been decorating my house. Sorry I'm late."

"No problem. In fact, we're almost done recording our new song."

Stormer looked at her in awe. "Y-you are?"

Roxy nodded. "We're just that good."

"We just need you to play this part for us," said Pizzazz. "And we'll be all finished."

Stormer looked at the sheet of music. It looked professionally written, and fairly refined, much more than she knew Pizzazz was capable of.

"Who wrote this?" she asked.

Jetta put her arm around Stormer. "This is all me."

"I didn't know you knew how to write music."

"Oh, I'm full of surprises, love. Now why don't you sit down and record this on your keytar. Will you make it sound pretty for me?"

Stormer took the keytar Roxy handed to her, still a bit baffled. "Uh, sure thing."

She recorded her part without a problem, but she couldn't shake the feeling that she heard this song somewhere else before.

Scribbling down a few more notes on her staff paper, Stormer grinned to herself. This little blurb of music would be a perfect addition to the song she was working on with the Holograms. She knew they'd love it. Since she had extra time to work because Jetta had apparently sprung compositional talent, she had been able to create an extra song for her friends. At the very least, she believed, it would make for a nice B-side.

Collecting all her papers and notes, she sat them on the passenger's seat of her car and drove to Starlight Mansion. Knocking on the door, she felt a tingle go through her body from the excitement. Shana opened the door, then grunted at Stormer.

"Of all the nerve," she growled. "I can't believe you actually came back here."

Stormer gasped. "W-what do you mean?"

"Don't play dumb, we figured out what you did!"

"Who is it?" asked Aja.

"It's Stormer."

"What? You're kidding?"

Hearing Aja's angry voice too, Stormer burst into the mansion. "What's the matter?"

Jem entered the room, soon followed by Raya and Kimber from upstairs. Both Jem and Raya stared at Stormer like she was a criminal. Kimber looked deeply hurt.

"How could you?" accused Jem. "I thought you were better than this?"

Stormer shook her head. "Better than what? Please, tell me what I did?"

Raya clicked on the radio. "Hey cool cats, take a listen to the Misfits' new single. It's a rockin' Christmas tune that'll jive you into the holiday spirit!"

The song was hardly on before Stormer realized that it was almost identical to what she and the Holograms had been working on. Though it was sped up a little, and the playing wasn't nearly as sensitive, she was positive it was the same song. It even had the same lyrics Kimber was scribing.

Raya clicked off the radio. "Thanks for selling us out, Stormer."

Stormer was so surprised that she dropped the papers in her hand. "Wait, no. I didn't even tell them I was doing a song with you guys."

"Then how do you explain the song?" asked Jem. "It sounds almost identical to ours."

Shana sighed. "And now we can't put our version out. Everyone will think we just copied _them_."

"But it wasn't me," said Stormer. "Really it wasn't."

"Stop lying!" Kimber exclaimed, her eyes tearing up.

Stormer whispered. "But I'm not lying."

"There's no way they would've been able to take our song if you didn't give it to them," Kimber shouted, wiping a tear from her cheek. "I thought our friendship meant more to you than this."

"It . . . does . . ." Stormer couldn't stop herself from crying.

"Just go, and don't come back again!"

For a moment, Stormer looked at her friend pointing to the door through her watery eyes. She wanted to tell her she didn't do anything wrong—she wanted to shout her plea, but it didn't matter. She ran from the mansion and into her car where she cried.

Driving recklessly to her home, her eyes flooded with tears. In her bed at home, she buried her face into her pillow.

She was done with music.

Flakes of snow floated in the air. A taxi stopped by the curb, and Craig Phillips exited, dragging out his suitcase with him. A chilling breeze made him wrap his coat tighter around himself. Stepping to the door, he knocked, waiting for his sister to answer. When no one did, he knocked again.

"I hope Mary is at home. Maybe I should have called first," he said to himself.

Then the door opened, and Stormer poked her head out the door.

"Craig! W-what are you doing here?" she asked, shielding her face from the door when she realized who it was.

He replied, "I'm here to play at Jem and the Holograms' Christmas concert. Sorry I didn't call ahead of time, but my flight got delayed."

Stormer didn't say a word. An instant concern came over him. He could tell something was bothering his sister.

"How are things with you?" he asked casually.

Shrugging, Stormer wiped her face. "Is there anything you want to eat?"

"No, I'm fine. Hey Mary . . . are you alright?"

For a moment, Stormer looked at him, her eyes watering. Then she burst into tears and ran into Craig's arms. He hugged her.

"Mary, what's wrong? What has you so upset?"

She sobbed. "I don't know what to do. I didn't do anything wrong. I didn't."

After some time, he calmed his sister down and got her to explain her dire predicament.

"So you're telling me that you were working on a song with the Holograms and somehow the Misfits released the same song without you knowing?"

She nodded. "It's true!"

"Don't worry, Mary. I believe you."

"At least you do. They didn't, and now I can't go back. Kimber . . . she hates me now."

Craig clenched his hands into fists. "I bet Eric Raymond has something to do with this."

"Eric? How would he be able to steal the song?"

He grunted. "A weasel like him is capable of just about anything. Don't worry, I'll get to the bottom of this."

Craig stomped to the door. Stormer darted after him. "Wait! Where are you going?"

"It's time I paid a _personal_ visit to Eric Raymond."

* * *

I forgot to mention this . . . but stay tuned for Part 2!


	2. Part 2

_Rockin' Christmas for the Children, Part 2_

Pizzazz watched Techrat tinker with his sound recorder. She pranced over to him, coyly viewing over his adjustments.

"I must commend you, you're little toy, er, device worked brilliantly," she said as seductively as she could.

Techrat glanced up for a second. "Yes, well, of course it did. I am a technical genius after all."

"And just what is with all the fiddling you're doing to it?"

He replied, "I'm simply striving to make it better. Perfection is a long road."

"Oh, well, there's no way to truly make something better than to test it out in the field."

Techrat stopped his tinkering. "What do you mean?"

"I mean you really can't know if what you're doing is having a positive effect unless you test it in real life."

"I suppose that's true."

Pizzazz quickly snatched the device from Techrat's hands.

"Wait! Give that back to me!" he yelled.

Pizzazz shoved him back into a chair. "Calm down, creep. I'll give it back . . . when I'm done testing it. Just sit there like a good little boy."

Gathering Roxy and Jetta, Pizzazz hopped into her car and decided it was time to go visit the Starlight Mansion.

Craig stood outside of Misfits' Music, ready to slug Eric Raymond once for hurting his sister—and then again just for good measure. He was about to enter the building when he saw the Misfits, minus his sister, dart out of the building and into their car. He was curious about the strange device Pizzazz carried with her. He had a feeling they were up to no good.

Waving down a taxi, he followed them all the way to Starlight Mansion. By now he _knew_ they were up to no good. Hiding behind a bush, he spied the Misfits kneeling behind their car. Pizzazz pointed the machine she held at the mansion. After the three girls fought for a moment trying to figure out how to work the gadget, noises began to come from it.

Soon Craig heard what sounded like Jem's voice coming from the device. He listened intently to make out what was going on.

_"Come on girls, we only have a few days until Christmas Eve. We have to come up with a new song."_

_"I know, I know, but I don't have any ideas. We should just use what was on those papers she left behind."_

_"No, we can't do that. I refuse to stoop down to the level of the Misfits and steal other peoples' work."_

Pizzazz cackled. "This makes my day."

_"Then we'll just have to play with what we've came up with. It may not be the best song, but at least it's something."_

"Maybe we can steal this song, too," suggested Jetta. "Won't those yanks go crazy if we steal another song from them."

Nodding, Pizzazz grinned. "I like the way you think, Jetta. And I _love_ making the Holokiddies miserable."

When the Misfits were finished scheming, Craig followed them back to their home base. As much as it baffled him, he figured they must've used that device to listen in on the Hologram's practice before to steal their song. It also made sense to him why the Holograms would think Stormer cheated them.

He would have none of that.

Storming to the elevator, he slammed the button, and waited to unleash his rage on Eric Raymond. When he exited the elevator, he could hear the Misfits giggling like fools to themselves, but saw no sign of Eric Raymond. He mumbled a few choice words about them under his breath.

"Another success for the Misfits!" Roxy exclaimed.

Pizzazz beamed with self-appreciation. "Such a gorgeous plan I had, I know. Unlike that moron Eric, my plans actually succeed."

Jetta laughed. "Now we need Stormer here to write down these parts. That lil' prissy hasn't done a thing to help our success."

"What about my sister?" growled Craig from behind.

The three girls gasped simultaneously, turning around in shock to see Craig looming over them. His face was rigid stern as he stared at them.

"W-w-what are you doing here, Craig?" asked Pizzazz, taking a big step backwards. "I thought you were in Europe."

"I'm back to play with Jem and the Holograms, not to mention to keep you from doing something stupid, which seems like it would be a full-time job."

"Hey, who are you calling stupid," barked Roxy. "We haven't done anything wrong."

"Oh haven't you? Then care to explain this!"

He grabbed the recorder from Pizzazz and played back the Holograms' practice.

Pizzazz laughed nervously. "Oh, that? Well, that's nothing, nothing at all."

"Then you won't mind if I borrow this for a while? It'll be a help to my sister," he said.

"Stormer? What's she got to do with this?" Jetta peered at him.

"That is no concern of yours. Just hope I don't have to come back!"

Stomping out of Misfits Music, Craig sighed and shook his head. "I can't believe you put up with them, Mary."

A knock at the door startled Aja. Opening it up, she nearly fell backwards when she realized who was waiting to be let in.

"Hey, Aja, greeted Craig. "Mind if I come in for a minute?"

Aja threw her arms around Craig. "I can't believe it's you! But Craig, what are you doing here?"

"I'll be playing at the benefit concert on Christmas Eve."

Aja blushed. "Oh, that's right. I forgot we invited the Blue Bloods."

Laughing, Craig flash her a smile. "I see how important I am to you."

Aja kissed him once, then again, holding her lips to his.

"Now do you see how important you are to me?"

"I guess I do," he replied, but then cleared his throat. "And as much as I'd like to continue this, I am here for a reason."

"What's the matter?"

Craig looked into the house for a moment. "Are the rest of the Holograms here?"

"Yeah, let me go get everyone."

Rushing off into the house, Aja gathered Shana and Raya, who were in the studio, along with Kimber, who was taking a nap upstairs. She found Jerrica playing with Ba Nee and Ashley in the backyard.

"Wanna play with us, Aja?" asked Ashley.

"Sorry girls, but actually I need to steal Jerrica for a moment."

Jerrica followed Aja back into the house. "What's up, Aja?"

"Craig is here."

"Craig? He came over early."

"Well, he has something he needs to talk to all of us about."

"He does? Well . . ." Jerrica ducked off into the hallway. "Showtime, Synergy."

When Aja returned with Jem, she saw Craig holding a bizarre contraption in his hands.

"I'm glad you're all here," he told them. "I happened to come across this little menace today."

Kimber peered curiously at it. "Um, what is this?"

"I don't know for sure. I do know it can be used to record music from long distances."

Raya shrugged. "That's very nice, but how does that pertain to us?"

Flicking a switch on the device, he played back the practice the Misfits had recorded. The Holograms looked at each other, perplexed by what they just heard.

"Hey, that was us just earlier today!" Shana declared.

"I tracked the Misfits with this thing," explained Craig. "It seems they've been eavesdropping in on your practices to steal your songs."

Aja growled. "Those Misfits! I can't stand them."

"Wait," Jem said. "You said they were recording our practices?"

Craig nodded. "That's right. They were across the street. You see, it wasn't Stormer who gave away your song. It was probably that sleaze ball Eric Raymond."

Kimber turned pale. "Oh no. We accused her of betraying us. I . . . I told her never to come back."

Jem put her arm around Kimber, who was tearing up. "We've made a big mistake. Come on girls, we need to find Stormer."

"Don't worry about being recorded," said Craig as he crumbled the device in his hands. "I think the Misfits understand not to eavesdrop anymore."

Sitting at her kitchen table, Stormer stared at the ripply reflection of herself in the glass of water.

"Oh, Stormer," she whispered to herself. "Why do I have such bad luck?"

The sound of screeching tires frightened her, and she peeked open her front door to see Jem and the Holograms parked by the curb. She quickly shut the door and cowered behind her sofa. Footsteps approached the door, followed by a series of knocks.

"Stormer, Stormer! Are you in there?" She could hear Jem calling for her.

Poking her head above the top of the sofa, she saw Kimber looking in the windows.

"Go away!" yelled Stormer. "I told you I didn't do anything wrong! Please just go away!"

"Mary, it's alright!"

Those words weren't from the Holograms, she realized, but from her brother. Emerging from the sofa, she saw her brother was with the Holograms.

"It's okay," said Jem. "We found out what happened. Please, will you let us in?"

Though still hesitant, Stormer opened the door. Kimber rushed at her and hugged her tightly

"I'm so sorry, Stormer," she cried.

"Kimber? I—what happened?"

Aja smiled at Stormer. "It seems the Misfits were spying on us with some high-tech gadgetry."

The Holograms and Craig explained what had happened, and how the Misfits had stolen the song they had worked so hard on. More than that, they all apologized to Stormer.

"We were so angry that we didn't think straight," said Shana. "We were to hasty to accuse you."

Raya agreed, "Yeah, it wasn't right of us at all."

"Will you forgive us?" asked Jem.

Stormer smiled. "Of course."

Kimber cheered. "Friends again!"

Aja wrapped her arm around Craig's. "I think we all owe this man a big thank you."

"I usually do," said Stormer to her brother.

"Don't worry about it, Mary," he replied with a wink. "It's what big brothers do."

Folding her arms, Stormer sighed. "But what are we going to do? It's almost Christmas Eve and we don't have a song."

"Oh, I think we do," said Kimber, handing her friend a stack of papers. "You have a great one right here."

"My notes! I forgot I dropped them at your house."

Jem put her hands on her hips. "Come on, guys. If we want to get this song finished in time for Christmas, we'll have to work really fast."

The Holograms, happily accompanied by Stormer, hopped back into the car. Aja waved at Craig.

"Aren't you coming with us?" asked Aja.

He shook his head. "No, I'll let you girls work for a while."

"How about I meet you for dinner?"

"Well, maybe if you can sneak out . . . say around eight?"

Aja smiled. "It's a date!"

Stormer read the cover of _Rock Age_ magazine—"Jem is #1 for Christmas!" She cheered out loud, happy that the song was a success. She was worried they wouldn't get it out in time, but with hours of hard work and a sleepless night of recording, she helped Jem and the Holograms complete their Christmas single.

She drove to Starlight Mansion, bubbly and so excited to see her friends. She didn't even make it to the door before Kimber burst from the house and nearly tackled her.

"Oh, Stormer! We did it, we did it!" screamed Kimber.

Stormer hugged her. "I know! I can't believe it, but we actually did it."

By now, the rest of the band had come from the house, equally as thrilled as she and Kimber.

Jem laughed. "I have to hand it to you, Stormer. You've managed to write two hit songs in a week."

"Yeah, that's amazing!" Shana declared.

Raya ran over to hug Stormer as well. "It's awesome!"

Blushing, Stormer didn't know how to take all the affection. Looking around, she noticed someone was missing.

"Hey, where's Aja?" she asked.

Jem looked at Kimber, and they both began to giggle. Stormer glared at them.

"What's so funny?"

Kimber patted her on the back. "Aja is busy on a date with your brother."

Jem nodded. "He came by earlier to take her to dinner."

"Lucky for her you're not his wife anymore," joked Kimber.

"Geez, that again," grumbled Stormer. "Well, as long as the restaurant doesn't blow up, I don't mind."

Jem laughed. "Yes, we hope they stay safe, too. But hey, let's go inside and celebrate."

Shana agreed, "Might as well party now. We can't practice until Aja gets back anyway."

The smell of Italy tantalized Aja's senses. Eying the plate of pasta the waiter was carrying, she could feel her stomach twitch.

"You okay, Aja?" asked Craig. "You look like a hungry tiger spying its pray."

Aja chuckled. "Do I look that hungry? I suppose I am. Everything smells so good."

"Then I guess I picked a good place for a date."

"You did."

"It's been a crazy ride to this point," he said.

"What do you mean?"

"To think I was so worried about what you'd think if you found out that my sister was a Misfit."

Aja shook her head. "That wouldn't have mattered. It was a shock when I first found out, but Craig, it wouldn't have changed how I feel about you."

"I suppose not. You're not the type of girl to be easily deterred," said Craig, then he put his hand up like a boy scout. "But I still promise I won't cheat on you with my sister."

"Are you still upset about that?" Aja giggled.

Craig rubbed his cheek. "I think I'm still a little sore from that vicious slap, you know."

"Then why don't you lean in and let me kiss it and make it better."

Aja tilted her head towards him and kissed his cheek. Before she realized, she was about to kiss his lips until the waiter sat down their dinner on the table. Both of them smiled at each other.

Craig winked. "We'll continue this after dessert."

Pizzazz stared at the cover of _Glitter_ magazine. Plastered on the front was a picture of Jem and the Holograms. Inside was page after page lauding their new hit single that just sent the Misfits to number two. She hated being second best.

"This is the pits," Roxy complained. "How did Jem turn around and come up with a song better than the one we stole from her in just a week?"

Jetta folded her arms. "It boils me blood. They're the talk of every newspaper and magazine. They're even all over the telly."

Pizzazz grunted. "So what? Let them have a little glory now. When the big party comes, the Misfits are gonna wreck it. Scrooge is coming for you, Jem!"

* * *

Get ready for the conclusion in Part 3!


	3. Part 3

_Rockin' Christmas for the Children, Part 3_

Christmas lights lit up the street Jerrica walked down. Decorations hung on the sides of buildings and inside shop windows. Children scampered into the toy stores, their eyes hopeful that they will wake up Christmas morning and the toy they so desired will be waiting for them. It all warmed Jerrica's heart.

"It's a shame Shana didn't come with us," said Kimber to Jerrica. "She would've loved this."

She replied, "I know, but she wanted to make sure the dresses for the concert were perfect."

"I'm sure they will be." Raya smiled.

Aja chuckled. "You know her, she's so particular."

"Don't worry too much about her," said Kimber, winking. "A little birdy told me that someone will be over a little later on to visit."

"Speaking of 'special visitors,' Jerrica, how come you didn't invite Rio along?" Aja asked.

She shrugged. "I did, but he insisted on getting things set up for the concert. He did promise to make it up to me."

"Oh, did he?"

Raya giggled. "I bet you he bought you something really special for Christmas."

Jerrica blushed. "To be honest, I am a little curious."

She wondered for a moment on what Raya just said. She didn't ask him for anything specific, but he had been subtle in his questions, trying to pry her for a potential gift idea.

"It's not so much about fancy gifts," she thought out loud. "It's about who you share the time with."

The girls all giggled and came a little closer together as they strolled down the sidewalk. Wispy flakes of snow fell from the sky, occasionally rushed around by a rising breeze. Jerrica watched Kimber stick out her tongue.

"What are you doing?" asked Aja.

Kimber replied, "I'm trying to catch a snow flake on my tongue."

"What does it taste like?" questioned Raya.

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "It's cold!"

When Jerrica glanced at Kimber, what she realized Kimber was yelling about as cold was not a snowflake on her tongue, but a snowball hitting her in the face. The sound of cackling soon followed.

"You got egg on your face," shouted Pizzazz, to the amusement of Jetta. "Or maybe I should say snow!"

Kimber wiped the snow from her face. "The Misfits . . . what a way to put a damper on Christmas."

Jerrica stomped across the street towards the Misfits. "Do you always have to be so obnoxious? It's almost Christmas!"

Roxy shrugged. "Do you have to be so ugly?"

Folding her arms, Jerrica didn't let Roxy's petty insult get to her. It was Christmas, and she would enjoy it no matter what.

From behind the rest of the Misfits, Stormer emerged. "Better watch out, Kimber might throw a tantrum and cry," she said with a wink.

Kimber smirked. "Cry, huh? I'll give _you_ something to cry about"

Bending over, she picked up a handful of snow and threw it at Stormer, who nimbly ducked underneath it. She laughed, and launched back a snowball of her own. Soon, the Holograms and the Misfits were thrust in a snowball standoff.

Aja pasted Jetta.

Pizzazz pelted Raya.

Jem and Roxy were deadlocked in an icy exchange.

They bands continued their fight until they both stopped, each side watching Kimber and Stormer sitting in a pile of snow, themselves half-covered in it, giggling madly to each other.

"Okay, this is getting weird," said Pizzazz, brushing snow off her jacket. "We're getting out of here."

"Come on Stormer, stop acting like an idiot," Roxy said, pulling Stormer up with Jetta's help.

As they left, Pizzazz gave the Holograms a sidelong glance. "Better watch out creeps, we're gonna come steal your Christmas gifts!"

Jem shook her head, and brushed the snow out of her hair. "I wonder what she meant by that."

Aja shrugged. "For some reason, I don't want to know."

Humming to herself, Shana moved from one dress to the next, checking and rechecking her work. With the big concert just on the horizon, she wanted to make sure everything was perfect.

"Shana!" Ba Nee yelled, startling Shana. "Someone's here to see you."

"See me? Who is it?"

Ba Nee didn't answer, but giggled to herself and motioned for the guest to enter. With arms outstretched, Anthony entered Shana's room.

"Anthony!" she called, running into his arms.

He hugged her. "Merry Christmas, honey."

"It's a little early for that."

He laughed, then the two kissed for a long moment.

"I just wanted to check in and see how your preparations were going."

Shana smiled. "Aw, you're too sweet. I'm almost finished."

"Excellent. When you're done, how about I carry you away for a fantastic dinner somewhere."

"Well, I don't know. I need to make sure—"

Anthony hugged her from behind, kissing her on the cheek. "They're wonderful. Someone with as much talent as you doesn't need to fret over every little detail."

"When you put it that way, how can I refuse you're offer?" Shana pecked him on the lips.

Kimber peered down the street, eying a large crowd of people gathered around something going on. She couldn't quite make it all out.

"What do you suppose is going on down there?" Raya asked.

"I don't know," replied Aja. "Want to check it out?"

The girls cut through the crowd. Kimber saw a cameraman standing in front of Conney Line and Terry Stone from _California Beat_. When she saw who they had with them, Kimber burst a cheer.

"Sean!" she yelled, nearly knocking over the people she rushed through to get to Sean Harrison.

"Look there, it's some of me favorite ladies," he said as Kimber hugged him. "And especially this gorgeous lady."

Jerrica waved. "Hi, Sean. What are you doing here?"

"They asked me to do an interview for their Christmas special. So of course I obliged, and snuck in a good word for our concert, too."

"Oh, Sean, thanks so much. We really appreciate you helping to get the word out."

Sean tipped his head. "It's my pleasure, ladies. Anything to brighten Christmas mornin' for the children."

Kimber blushed. "You're such a sweetheart."

Jerrica checked her hair in the mirror, making sure every hair was correctly in place. She brushed over her cheeks with foundation.

"What are you so concerned about?" asked Kimber, applying her own makeup next to Jerrica.

"I'm not concerned," she replied. "I just want to look good. This concert is important."

"Don't worry, you'll be fine as always. It's Christmas Eve; it's time to be festive, not a worry wort."

"You're right, Kimber. Thanks."

Putting her hand on her earring, Jerrica said the words that always comforted her. "Showtime, Syngergy."

Jem adjusted the large Santa hat atop her head and took a deep breath. She was determined to put on the best Christmas rock show ever, and not let the heavy burden of charity weigh her down. Kimber was right, she thought to herself—it was Christmas Eve.

Aja, Shana, and Raya walked into the dressing room.

"Everything's set up and the sound tests were good," said Aja.

Shana nodded. "Yeah, and the lights and decorations are wonderful. Rio did a great job."

"He always does," said Jem.

"The crowd outside is getting really, really large. I think we'll have a sold-out show tonight."

Kimber giggled. "I think we owe Sean a big thank you for all the publicity."

"There's one thing we're missing," Jem stated.

"What's that?"

"Stormer! I haven't seen her yet."

Shana folded her arms. "You're right. She's a little late."

Kimber looked at the clock. "She should be here soon. I'll go keep an eye out for her."

Pizzazz stood firm in front of the growing line of people outside the arena. Her hands placed on her hips, she growled under her breath.

"Look at all these people."

Jetta brushed back her black hair. "What a scene! It makes me sick thinkin' Jem is puttin' on a huge concert on Christmas Eve."

"Yeah," agreed Roxy. "No way we can't jump in and cause some trouble."

Standing behind the rest of the Misfits, Stormer tightened her coat. "Maybe we shouldn't. It's Christmas after all."

Pizzazz shook her head. "No way. We can't let Jem and her scrawny backup singers trump us like this."

"Oh, um . . . look guys, there's Jem now!" She shouted, pointing to the crowd.

"Where?" Roxy yelled.

"I don't see a thing," growled Jetta. "There's too many bloody people here—Stormer?"

Looking around, Pizzazz scratched her head. "Hey, where'd she go?"

Maneuvering through the crowd, Stormer looked for a way into the arena. The show would soon begin, and she was late already. She had hoped to avoid the rest of the Misfits for tonight, and perform at the concert. But now that they were here, ready to crash the party, Stormer didn't know what to do.

She went around to the back of the arena, searching for a back door to enter by. What she did find was Kimber waiting at the corner. Stormer rushed up to her and waved.

"Kimber! Kimber!," she called.

Kimber took notice instantly. "Hey, there you are, Stormer. We've been waiting for you. The concert is about to begin."

"I know, but there's a problem."

"What's that?"

Stormer hesitated, not wanting to rat on her friends. But she reneged on her wavering. "The rest of the Misfits are here."

Kimber frowned. "Oh great. I bet they want to ruin everything."

Nodding without reply, Stormer sighed.

"Never mind that right now," said Kimber, grabbing Stormer by the wrist. "We need to get you in costume and ready to perform. Luckily for us, we'll be going on last, so there's still time."

By the time they made their way into the arena and backstage, the concert was just beginning. Stormer and Kimber stopped for a moment behind the stage to listen to Jem give her introductions.

"Good evening everybody. First off, Merry Christmas!"

A hearty round of applause and cheers sounded in the arena.

"I'm glad all of you came out this Christmas Eve to not only celebrate the holidays, but to help children in need," said Jem as a video began on the screen behind her. On it was images of bad neighborhoods and children from poor homes. "It's important that we not only share this wonderful time with our family and friends, but also with those less fortunate than us. The money from this concert will go to benefit many children all across the country."

Another round of applause roared in the arena. A tear rolled down Stormer's cheek. She glanced over to see Kimber herself wiping a tear from her eye. It made her smile.

"Now then," Jem said. "Let's get on with the show. Our first act will be none other than the marvelous songwriter and guitar player Eric Clapton."

Stormer looked at Kimber, and they both shared a laugh.

"I think we're both suckers for the sappy stuff," said Kimber.

"I think you're right."

"Come on, let's go get ready."

In the dressing room, Kimber and Shana helped Stormer get into her elf costume.

"I hope you don't mind being an elf," said Shana. "And I hope I got your measurements right, too."

"No it's fine," replied Stormer, twirling around in her red elf costume. "It's wonderful!"

As she finished getting dressed, Jem came back into the dressing room. She smiled at Stormer.

"There you are. I was beginning to wonder if you were going to make it."

"Sorry I'm late," Stormer said hesitantly.

"Don't worry." Jem smiled. "Right now the Blue Bloods are performing."

Kimber giggled. "So that's why I haven't seen Aja in a while."

Jem continued, "After them will be Luna Dark and Roland Owens performing a duet, and then Sean Harrison will be on."

"Oh, Sean . . . he's so gorgeous . . ." murmured Kimber, with a dreamy look in her eyes.

Jem rolled her eyes. "Then we'll be on, Stormer, and we'll be performing your song! Aren't you excited?"

"I am, but, well." Stormer trailed off.

"But what?"  
Stormer sighed. "The Misfits are here."

Folding her arms, Jem thought to herself for a moment. "I can't say I'm surprised. Don't worry about them. At least for now, they haven't made a mess of things."

Though Jem's words were encouraging to Stormer, she still had a bad feeling that the rest of her band mates would appear at the worst time to trash the show. They may be her friends, but this was her show, and she wanted it to be perfect.

Nervously she waited with the rest of the Holograms until it was there time to perform. Even though Stormer had rocked out in shows and concerts plenty of times before, she felt her skin tingle with anticipation. Maybe it was because of the huge crowd, or the other famous rock stars, or maybe even because it was Christmas Eve, but she couldn't shake the mixture of anxiety and elation she felt swell inside herself.

Soon the remaining acts finished their songs, and Jem stood by waiting to take the stage again. Behind her were the rest of her band, as well as Stormer. A quick glance at her made Jem worry that at any moment, the Misfits would pop out of nowhere and wreck havoc over the grand finale. At least there was one Misfit she wouldn't have to contend with.

The crowd cheered as Sean Harrison completed his last song, and waved as he exited stage left. Jem motioned for the rest of the girls to pay attention.

"Alright everyone, it's showti—"

Before she could end her sentence, a whiny screech sounded over the arena. She saw Pizzazz standing on stage, flanked by Roxy and Jetta, tapping a few times on a microphone.

"Okay folks, a change of plans are in order for the show," said Pizzazz, with a devilish grin over her face. "The Misfits are here to lift this boring show into something more entertaining."

A few shouts of "where's Stormer" came from the crowd to the obvious annoyance of Pizzazz.

"Shut up and appreciate what we're about to play!"

Roxy belted a few chords on her guitar, with Jetta starting her saxophone melody. Gripping her hands together, Jem was about to rush out on stage when she watched Stormer do the same.

"Stop right there!" bellowed Stormer, pointing her finger straight at the Misfits. "You're not taking over our show!"

Roxy and Jetta stopped playing, staring blankly at Stormer. Pizzazz scratched her head, then nonchalantly brushed back her hair.

"Where have you been? What do you mean by 'your show' exactly?"

Now Jem rushed out on stage. "She's performing with us."

"Performing with you?" asked Roxy. "With the Holograms?"

"That's right."

"And just why is that?" Pizzazz questioned, staring sternly at her band mate.

"Because I invited her to," said Kimber, coming out on stage with the rest of the Holograms.

"Yeah, Kimber invited Stormer to help write a Christmas song with us," added Shana.

Raya nodded. "And we're happy to work with her."

"So butt out," growled Aja.

Jetta grunted. "I guess Benedict Arnold runs in your blood you lil' traitor."

"Please everyone, it's Christmas Eve," Jem pleaded, to both the Misfits and the Holograms. "This concert isn't about the performance, or who is the better band. It's about helping children, and celebrating an important time of year."

Roxy folded her arms and mumbled a few insults under her breath. Pizzazz, her hands firmly on her hips, shrugged. "Go ahead and have your stupid Christmas party. We're outta here."

"Wait, Pizzazz!" called Stormer. "Why don't you play with us?"

Stormer looked over at Jem. For a moment, Jem rejected such a notion, but gave in. To her, it was Christmas—a time to be together, not apart.

"Come on, Misfits," she said. "We'll let you join in for the last number. What do you say?"

Hesitant for a second, Pizzazz threw back her hair and stuck her nose up in the air. "Well . . . I suppose since it's Christmas and all we'll stick around. Wouldn't want the kiddies to have no toys."

Together on stage, Jem and the Holograms, accompanied by Stormer and the Misfits, ended their concert in unison. Afterwards, the Misfits, along with Stormer, went back to Pizzazz's mansion. She told Jem that apparently she might have a few gifts at home for the Misfits.

By the time midnight neared, Jerrica was at home, fiddling over all the money they raised.

"You waiting for Santa Clause?" asked a familiar voice from the doorway.

Jerrica, who was sitting at her desk, glanced over her shoulder. "Rio!"

He walked over to her and they embraced. "Miss me? I'm sure you thought I went and ran off to the North Pole."

Jerrica laughed. "No, I knew you were working hard on the show. And I for one certainly appreciate it, not to mention the many, many kids who will have gifts for Christmas."

"Speaking of gifts, you'll have to wait until morning to get yours. Santa doesn't appreciate cheaters, you know."

"You the best gift a girl could ever receive, Rio."

Rio was about to kiss her before he paused. "I think we're missing the mistletoe."

Jerrica pulled him in closer. "There's no mistletoe required tonight."

The clock struck twelve—Christmas had arrived. The two kissed as the faint sound of jingling bells sounded overhead.


End file.
